Hurricane Preparedness Tips
The ice keeps your fridge and/or freezer cold so the food won't spoil as quickly. After Katrina we had to throw our fridge out because the rotten smell wouldn't go away. Our house was basically okay, but it smelled like something died when we got home. My mother in law spent a week scrubbing the unit every day, taking every piece apart and soaking it in bleach.
Plus, when the ice melts you have cool drinking water.